Forgotten
by WildNoa13474
Summary: No truth can be buried forever. A series of oneshots centered around Yaboku and what that name means exactly. **DISCONTINUED BECAUSE OF INACCURATE PORTRAYAL. MAY BE REWRITTEN.**
1. Forgotten

Yato. Yaboku. Two sides of the same coin, yet different as day and night.

Yaboku was the skin he'd shed, the life he'd left behind. He distanced himself from the memories, tried to bury that aspect of himself deep inside where no one would ever find it. He donned a mask named Yato to forget the truth that was Yaboku.

No truth can be buried forever.

Hiiro was an aspect of Yaboku's life. She was Yaboku's regalia. For Yato to acknowledge her as Hiiro would be to shed the mask he lived as. It would mean Yato would be no more.

Yato would never call her name. But someday, irrevocably, inevitably, _Yaboku_ _would_.

He still remembers the saddened look on her face when she first laid eyes on his mask clearly, late in the afternoon in the town they'd always come to play.

 _Your eyes,_ she'd said, the row of houses casting a long shadow behind her. _Why are your eyes so dull? What happened to that beautiful blue glow?_

Yaboku would always be a part of him, albeit one he constantly tried to forget. He'd have succeeded, maybe- he'd worn his mask for so long now that he could sometimes forget it _was_ a mask- if it wasn't for the fact that once in a while, the part of him that was Yaboku decided enough was enough.

At his weakest moments, beaten down or cornered, at the end of the line and out of options, his eyes turned cold and began to glow a hard blue. His survival instinct caused him to drop the mask of playful, childish, ignorant Yato and remember who he used to be, if only for a moment.

If only for the single moment he needed to kill the threat, and the rest of the surrounding area while he was at it. He was still in control of himself, but that part of his was more driven, uncaring, instinctual.

Yaboku was a survivor, relying on his survival instincts more than anything. Consequently, Yaboku was cold, impassive, ruthless. But, even so.. Yaboku was the part of him that was protective, possessive, easy to anger yet quiet.

Yaboku was the side of him that was the most vulnerable.

And so, he'd hid his most vulnerable side behind an iron wall, becoming his own mask and hiding- protecting- his true self from the world. Slowly losing himself to the void of his mind, forever drifting from place to place and from Regalia to Regalia, there was no place for him in this world.

Everyone eventually forgot Yato, but if they had ever met Yaboku, they never forgot. He supposed it was because Yato had never existed; not really. It was irony at best, that the one thing he would give anything to forget would never be forgotten.


	2. Rabo Arc

"Rabo." Yato glared at the figure at the top of the cracked stairs, barely aware of Nora talking to a confused Hiyori.

Rabo's shrine had long since fallen into disrepair. Yato couldn't help but flash back to the days when it was revered, when it's emptiness held beauty and its silence was only disturbed by the wind in the tree leaves.

Only the most vengeful of humans had come here. This had been a place of beautiful vengeance, of a silence never broken, of peace mixing with underlying pain, grief, rage over and over again.

Now it was abandoned, and its emptiness was lonely and its silence was deafening.

Hiyori shouldn't be here.

Even if she hadn't forgotten, even if she knew what she was going into and wanted to help, this would still be no place for a person like her.

Yato didn't know when Hiyori had gone from client to _family, protect at all costs._ But she had, and then _Rabo_ had tried to take her away from him.

He told Hiyori to get away from there. Rabo's eyes were completely focused on Yato as he shouted a challenge.

Yato didn't know what Rabo was trying to accomplish by challenging him, Rabo knew from back when they were rivals and friends that Yato could defeat him after all, but he didn't particularly care either. The bastard was going to pay for messing with Hiyori.

" **Sekki!** " Yato called sharply, charging at his old friend as Rabo called for 'Reiki'. He caught Sekki in one hand and in the same smooth movement, swung at Rabo's head, only to be intercepted by Reiki.

The struggle of swords lasted only for a moment as Yato growled at Rabo to _give Hiyori's memories back_ , and spin-kicked him, sending him sailing through the air.

Yato followed him, and crossed blades with Rabo again and again, easily pushing him back as Rabo made no move to defend himself. What was the bastard doing?

Rabo had his back against a rock, and Yato jumped up and descended on him sword first.

"Too weak!" Rabo suddenly snapped only inches away from becoming shish kebab, and swung Reiki, knocking back Yato with pure power. Yato landed on his back, and before he had recovered from the sudden move, Rabo was manipulating the surrounding water puddles to follow and form a bubble around Yato.

The water was suffocating, he couldn't break the bubble from the inside. Yato could see the distorted image of Rabo saying something, but couldn't hear anything but the adrenaline rushing in his ears.

Yato attempted to break out of the bubble once more, only to be pulled back by the hem of his jersey. After a moment of struggle, the edge of the bubble was broken and a soaked Yato and someone else tumbled down the stone stairs.

Getting over the pain of the fall, Yato opened his eyes and stared in shock at the upside-down Hiyori laying with them on the stairs. He barely even registered Yukine's whisper of "Hiyori?"

"Ow.." The aforementioned girl groaned, rubbing her head, before turning to them. "A-Are you alright?"

"Yeah.." Yato answered, a bit dazed. Hiyori had _saved_ them, even without her memories.

Then he jumped up in realization. "But what are you still doing here? I told you to run!"

Hiyori looked surprised, then bowed her head in acknowledgment and shame, which in turn, made Yato feel guilty. He'd expected her to protest, to argue his point like the old Hiyori would have done.

"Still.. Thanks." Yato allowed, and the smile from Hiyori made it all worth it.

It was then that he became aware of Rabo, muttering to himself or maybe to Nora at the top of the stairs. Yato stood up and moved protectively in front of Hiyori, before deciding if Rabo was focused on attacking him, his old rival wouldn't even notice Hiyori. He attacked again.

Swords clashed, and Yato saw a look in Rabo's eyes that he really, really didn't like.

"Where is he?" The fellow god demanded.

 _What?_

"Huh?" Yato was caught up in confusion for a moment, but didn't let up the pressure on the enemy sword.

"The god of calamity I know!"

Yato's eyes widened in surprise and the moment of inattention got him knocked back. Thankfully, there was no water bubble to greet him this time, and he jumped up again.

His breath caught as he slipped on the muddy ground while running at Rabo, but ironically, he was caught by the clash of their swords.

"Where is Yato, the god of calamity?!" Rabo demanded again, eyes wild. "With those beautiful eyes of depravity.. Where is _that_ Yato god?! I wish to cross swords with _that_ god of calamity!"

Oh.

That was Rabo's goal. To fight Yaboku. Yato didn't realize before because Rabo kept calling him Yato- but of course he would, they had never even told old each other their names. It simply hadn't been necessary. There was a good chance Rabo only learned Yato's name after he woke up from his sleep, and by then Yato had already locked away his previous name in the deepest recesses of his mind.

Rabo was calling out for Yaboku.

"Shut _up_!" Yato growled, more fiercely than he had planned. Swing after swing was intercepted by Reiki, and no matter how fast Yato moved, he couldn't land a hit on Rabo.

Rabo jumped away, and Yato followed.

"I see." Rabo intoned as Yato charged at him again. "It's still not enough."

"What are you talking about?!" Yato swung, but Rabo, infuriatingly, jumped away again.

What wasn't enough? Yato hadn't noticed Rabo doing anything particular.

"What are you--?!" The word _planning_ stayed stuck in his throat when Yato turned and saw Rabo advancing on an unprotected Hiyori.

 _That little-_

Yato threw Sekki to intercept Reiki, and used the distraction to run towards Hiyori and pull her away. Yato wasn't exactly sure where they were running, just that the farther away from Rabo, the better.

" _Sekki_!" Yato summoned his regalia, still running, into the shallow lake surrounding the once beautiful shrine. Eventually, they stopped, crouching, panting, behind a rock. It wasn't anywhere near safe, but if he returned to fight Rabo while Yukine took Hiyori further away..

"Yukine!"

Yukine transformed back, looking anxious. "What are we going to do, Yato?" He asked, a worried undertone in his voice.

"You're going to take Hiyori and get away from here." Yato said, his eyes narrowing in determination, already predicting Yukine's awnser.

"Huh?"

"I'm the one Rabo wants." He explained further. "I'll keep him busy. Use that chance to get away."

"But what about you? You're completely unarmed without me!"

"Shut up! I'll figure something out!"

Coincidentally, Yato was really good at dodging and fairly masterly at hand-to-hand combat. It wouldn't match up to a God with its Regalia, but he'd survive. He always did.

Suddenly, Yato felt something watching him. He sharply turned to face Rabo, standing on the rock they were hiding behind.

The latter simply held up a small pink marble-like ball for them to see. Yato's eyes widened. That couldn't be.. Could it? No, it must be. Rabo had nothing to gain by using a fake.

"That's the ball containing Hiyori's memories." He answered Yukine's question. Hiyori turned to him with a shocked gasp.

Rabo grinned like the madman he was and a moment before he did it, Yato knew what was going to happen.

 _No!_

Yato sprinted after the falling marble, and just before it hit the water his hand was about to catch it, it was safe, Hiyori was safe-

The memories were cut and shattered into a thousand pieces, dissolving into the water.

Yato stared for a moment, not processing the event until he heard Yukine's desperate cries calling Hiyori's name over and over.

He stood by Hiyori's side, at first simply staring incomprehensively. Hiyori couldn't be..

"Yato! What do we do, Yato? Hiyori won't wake up!"

Yato picked Hiyori up.

"Forget her, Yato god. She is but a voiceless, mindless container now."

Yato carried her to the nearest rock.

"Nothing more than a pile of flesh."

Yato set her down gently and wrapped his scarf around the bruise on Hiyori's hand.

He stood up again, his fist clenched.

"Rabo."

Rabo answered the call. "Do you hate me?"

The silence was answer enough.

"Good. Loathe me, O fierce deity." The insane god said, a hint of triumph in his voice. "Accept and awaken to your maelstrom of hate, god of calamity.. Yato!"

"Be quiet."

Rabo was wrong. Yato didn't hate Rabo at all. Yato wasn't able to hate Rabo, because Yato had never existed and never will.

" _Sekki._ " Yaboku hissed.

A moment later, Rabo was sliced through the chest and kicked to the other side of the shallow waters, destroying a bridge that Yaboku couldn't care less about and denting a wall on the way.

Yaboku stalked toward Rabo, not even seeing the mist around him. Right here, right now, the only thing that mattered was Rabo and **his punishment**.

"Yes.. Those are the eyes."

Rabo had done this all, had taken what was _his_ , just to prove a point? Pathetic.

"Come." Rabo ordered. As if. Rabo hadn't moved first this entire match, wasn't it fair to let him begin for once?

"You come to me." Yaboku's tone was pleasant, inviting, even when he continued. "I'll hack that grin off your face."

"Yato?" Yaboku would've noticed Yukine sounded alarmed, if he'd cared enough to listen. He didn't.

Rabo did come, and swung at him like the fool he was. Yaboku matched him strike for strike without a shred of effort, swatting his attempts aside like he would a fly.

Rabo raised a wall of water to protect himself, which was almost laughable. Yaboku simply landed behind him.

The moron noticed and charged him again.

One moment Yaboku was standing still, the next he met Rabo halfway, creating a wave of power stirring up the water behind him. Rabo created a small tsunami, easily hacked apart by Sekki.

This was ridiculously easy. Yaboku didn't remember it being so easy. Then again, Rabo had been lazing around for a while.

Yaboku suddenly realized Sekki was at Rabo's neck. For a moment he pondered if Rabo even deserved to fade from existence, as gods do.

"This brings back memories." Rabo said with a grin. Did the lunatic really think Yaboku would spare him?

"The sky is the same as when we lived."

No, they had never lived, not really. They were gods. There was no life or death for them, they simply existed, or they didn't.

Besides, Yaboku knew what the idiot was referring to, and it wasn't the same. Not entirely. Yaboku had sensed the Storm collecting above them long before Rabo had mentioned it, but it was pathetically weak compared to their time as rivals and friends. Yaboku almost longed for the great Storms of the past, a testament to the destruction created by their hands.

"We are gods of calamity. Fierce deities that grant heinous wishes and soak the Near Shore with blood."

Rabo was planning something. Stalling Yaboku with a speech he already knew and memories he already remembered.

"Rabo.." Yaboku said warningly. Whatever his enemy was planning, it was something he wouldn't like.

"This is it. The moment I've been waiting for. The moment _my_ wish comes to pass!"

 _His_ wish?

Rabo raised his sword to the sky and a feeling of _wrongness_ overcame Yaboku, leaving him disoriented and alarmed.

A pillar of water engulfed Rabo and Yaboku was knocked back.

"My name is Rabo." Rabo's voice seemed to come from all directions, echoing through the shrine. "Bearing a posthumous name, I don this mask..."

No. He wouldn't dare.

"... I hereby make myself a spirit vessel!"

No way.

"Ye names that now assemble cannot defy my orders!"

Spirits were descending, spiraling around the pillar of water that streched far into the sky.

"Submit to and obey the mask! Gather, depravity!"

The water turned black before Yaboku's eyes and disappeared into nothingness, and the spirits descended into Rabo's now visible empty eyehole.

Yaboku could only watch in distaste while Yukine gasped.

"He's.. Absorbing the Storm?"

Yaboku didn't bother to answer his Regalia's half-rhetoric question.

"Fool." He instead said to Rabo, voice cold. "Have you gone mad? Merging with Phantoms like this..."

"Nay. I did it to fight you, Yato god..."

Rabo charged.

"... To the death!"

... The moron had doomed himself just to be worthy of being killed by him? Yaboku scoffed as he blocked a swipe and in the same motion went for Rabo's side. At least this would turn out a bit more interesting.

The fight was actually pretty good. Rabo matched Yaboku swipe for swipe, and the parrying, ducking and countering was beginning to take something out of him.

"Yato!"

Oh. Oh damn. That was supposed to be his name. He'd completely dropped his mask. Yukine was calling out to him, the alarm in his voice was something he'd only heard once before-

"Hey! Yato!"

Yato turned around and dove for Hiyori, only a fraction of a second faster than the heavy stone rubble about to hit her.

"Yato! Ate you okay?" The voice didn't get through to the figure that was bowed over Hiyori protectively.

"Yato! Rabo's coming! Yato! Yato! _Yato_!" Yukine's voice got increasingly more desperate, but Yato didn't move.

Then, he felt arms around him. Yato's breath caught and he looked up, into Hiyori's eyes, and found _recognition._

"Stop.. Crying... Yato."

"Hi.. yori...?"

Right. Repair the mask.

He proceeded to greet her in true Yato fashion and shoved the memories of the rest of this encounter to the very back of his mind. No more Yaboku around Hiyori, ever if he could help it.

Rabo grabbed Hiyori and started some speech about how great they were together- which Yato cut off with a, "Hell if I care! Quit bringing up a past that doesn't mean anything now!"

Because it really didn't mean anything to Yato. That's why Yato was created, after all; to distance himself from the past.

"Let Hiyori go!"

Hiyori was lifted up by her jacket and spoken to, but Yato was too was away to hear anything.

It was Yukine's victory, really. Yato explained how to get Rabo, and not Hiyori, and Yukine did it. To finish him off, Yato cut his mask, severing his connection to the phantoms. Rabo wasn't dead yet, but Yato saw his old friend already fading away.

"You held yourself together by a curse.. Why?"

"No matter how many wishes we grant, people will always fear, loathe and forget gods of calamity."

Yaboku knew this. That's why he created his mask. To become something else.

"For better or worse, people's feelings are always fickle. That's the way of things. It's our fate to be slain by disregard."

Oh. _Oh._

Rabo hadn't wanted to be controlled by fate. He wanted Yaboku to kill him, because being killed by an old friend is better than being killed by strangers in his eyes.

"What a nuisance." Yaboku was slightly irritated. Only slightly.

"For now, I go first, Yato.. God who shares the same fate as mine..."

"I'm not like you." Yato answered, reminded of his mask.

And if somewhere, deep in his mind, he mourned for the man that had once upon a time been his best, his _only_ friend, he didn't let it show.


	3. Bishamon Arc

Yukine was something special.

When Yato received emotions from Yukine, his mask cracked more and more often. Emotions slipped through his barriers and he began to feel again.

No other Regalia had made him feel so much. True, most of what Yukine sent was irritation, because it was the sharpest, but it was _real,_ and it got through the wall he'd put up so long ago.

And recently, there was more than irritation. There was fondness, family, home. Either Yukine felt these emotions so strongly that they got through his emotional barriers, or his barriers were wearing down.

To be honest, it scared him. The fact that a Regalia could bring his real emotions to the surface after such a short time was frightening. If he wanted to, Yukine could tear his walls down completely. Yukine could hurt him to his very core. He was a threat.

At the same time, there was something there that just _drew_ Yato in. No, that wasn't right. It drew _Yaboku_ in. Yukine was a walking mystery.

Being around his new Regalia, spending time with him, somehow turned Yukine from a threat to family. Over time, slowly but surely, his instincts stopped growling at Yukine and started.. For lack of a better word, purring.

By the time Yato realized what had happened, Yukine was throwing himself between Bishamon's moving sword and a trapped Yato.

"Yu.." Yato looked in disbelief at Yukine's spirit as it stood in front of him alongside Sekki's form, arms spread wide as if it would somehow protect Yato better.

Wh-what was that idiot doing? Yato wasn't worth saving, not like this, never like..

Sekki got shattered along with the barrier, sparkling shards of energy and metal descending to the ground alongside each other, and the world stuttered to a stop.

"Y-", Yato choked, and this wasn't happening this couldn't be happening-

" ** _Yukine!_** "

His scream echoed across the battlefield. Pain teared him apart, he was falling apart, his insides felt like they were on fire and his mind was in pieces.

Yukine was gone. _His_ Yukine was gone that _bitch_ killed him that _BITCH_ KILLED HIM.

Yato was barely aware of the coughs that racked his body as he fell the the floor, shaking in _grief rage HATE_

 _Yukine.._

His body felt like it was falling apart, it hurt it _hurt a piece of himself was being ripped away-_

Until suddenly, the pain ebbed away. Yato stopped moving entirely, staring unseeingly at the spats of crimson blood on the floor tiles. This.. Was this real?

He was still whole. Yukine's name.. It wasn't gone?

The world started again, and Bishamon's blade swung in a deadly arc toward his head.

" **Sekki!** "

The world exploded in light, but there was no pain. Instead, when the light faded, Yato was staring up a beautiful spiral of pure energy, going up endlessly to the stars Yato hadn't noticed previously.

A soft breeze, maybe the wind, maybe something else entirely, whipped up his hair as Yato stared with wide eyes at the shattered parts of Sekki fitting backback together to form something else.

Yato looked at the dual swords in his hands with awe. A Blessed Vessel.. Yukine was willing to sacrifice his name to protect Yato. He

"Yukine.. Are you okay?"

Yukine muttered a sheepish answer, about not knowing what exactly had happened, which Yato took as a yes.

"Thanks, Yukine." He smiled sadly, wondering how bad of a person he was exactly to fool his Regalia into thinking he was who he said he was.

"You're the first Regalia to ever change for me."

Yukine had changed to protect Yato. He'd changed to protect a god that didn't exist an empty act. He'd changed because he wanted to protect a mask, a shadow of the real person, while the real person was cruel and cold-hearted and not worth Yukine's loyalty.

Yato spoke empty words with a fake grin on his face, and pretended he hadn't horribly wronged his Regalia as Bishamon shouted in a mad rage about a God of Calamity having a Blessed Vessel.

No, the God of Calamity hadn't gained a Blessed Vessel. Yato had. And since Yato was nothing but a mask, Yukine had given his full loyalty to a man he didn't know in the slightest, while under the assumption that he was giving it to a trusted master.

For the first time in decades, Yaboku felt true remorse for what he'd done.

Then, as he was used to doing, he channeled it all into hate. Emotions during battle were less than beneficial, but changing it to hate is best only if there's no prevention possible. Hate leads to determination. If Yato was anything, it was determined.

They _would_ get his Hiyori back.

The fight was a blur. Bishamon was heavily tainted, as you get from the things she'd done. He didn't notice his smirk had gotten ice cold along the way. Somehow, Bishamon managed to stand, and she was corrupted to the point she'd all but lost her mind, saying that killing Yato would save everyone somehow.

Despite her previous words about staying away from her she called more Regalia to the battle and tainted them too.

So much for good morals. Even he could hear them screaming in pain. He just didn't care, but _she_ was supposed to.

But even now, blighted to her very core, she was still standing and fighting, for what she believed would help her Regalia. If Yaboku wasn't Yaboku he might have respected that.

As it was, this bitch had taken something of _his_ and he will get it back.

Bitchamon looked to be in pain, tears streaming down her face. Good. He waited for a moment, if she got sentient enough she'd be able to tell him where

 _You should just cut it down._

He froze.

"Yato?" Yokine sounded puzzled.

 _Once a bond has unraveled, there is no mending it._

These words..

 _Become entangled, and it will choke you as a Scourge._

He'd heard them before...

"Oi, Yato!" Yokine called in alarm as Bishamon prepared to slice them into little bits. He jumped, easily avoided the swipe of her sword.

 _You should just cut it down..._

"Yato!" A distant cry pierced his clouded mind and he woke up, finding himself with Sekki at Bishamon's throat.

That voice..

"H-Hiyori...?"

Footsteps from behind, running towards them.

"Yato! Stop it!"

Hiyori..

"It's Hiyori! She's alright! She's okay, Yato!"

He could only listen in disbelief to Yukine's happy voice, looking with wide eyes at the carnage he'd almost caused.

He'd lost himself. Not in the sense that he'd lost his mask, like he almost had when he'd thought Yukine died, he had actually lost himself. He hadn't been in control of his actions.

But..

He turned his head toward the voice that pulled him out of it. Hiyori was saying how Bishamon hadn't kidnapped her, and to stop fighting.

Bishamon hadn't..?

Bishamon attacked. As he'd previously thought, she was mad with pain and grief. She wouldn't stop.

...Fine. She wanted a fight, she would damn well get one.

He snapped at Bishamon about her wish for her Regalia to die and charged her again, ignoring Hiyori's horrified cry at his words.

Something exploded and Yato was blown back by the ensuing storm. It _hurt_ , taint burning his skin and quickly corrupting his body. It felt _wrong_.

Everyone in the surrounding area was about to get corrupted. Bishamon had to go.

"Killing a god is no big deal." He reassured Yukine. He would know.

At the very last moment, charging at the other God if War and just about to bring the Sekki, a small push at the right time made him stumble off-balance and out of the way, taking him by surprise.

 _Who-? Oh._

It was Bishamon's Examplar, Kazuma. He'd taken the hit, to protect his master no doubt. Hitting him had apparently taken away her killing intent, and the taint storm dissipated quickly. Meh. Dead or alive, Yaboku didn't really care as long as none of _his_ was affected by it.

They had a little dying heart-to-heart, during which Yaboku discreetly checked if Hiyori was alright. He finally relaxed slightly when he found no wounds or limp or anything even indicating injury, and turned his attention back to the dying two.

Honestly, the whining of the trapped Regalia was starting to irritate Yaboku's ears- woah okay it seemed his mask had slipped with emotions running an all-time high in the last few hours. Let's try that again. The pitiful crying of the trapped souls was paining Yato, so he called out to Bishamon, whose crying had subsided slightly, to release them.

The battle was over.


	4. Interlude

**A/N somewhere around here is where he story takes a sharp turn away from Canon, mostly because Canon had wayyy too little Dark!Yato or Yaboku. From now on, the storyline is post-anime(not post Manga because I haven't gotten around to reading it yet).** **This also means more BAMF!Yato, some fluff if I can pull it off and way, way more Yaboku.** **Here's a short drabble to begin with.** **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Also, if some parts seem a bit formal, it's because I was writing Underestimated a few minutes ago, so I'm still in Artemis Fowl-mode. Just FYI.**

 _There was an empty space around him._ _It wasn't dark. It wasn't light. But he was alone._

 _He would never be able to leave this space. He could not die. He could not live. Was there any sense in existing?_

 _A strange burning feeling encompassed him._ _He'd tried to die, only to find out he couldn't. Now it was time to try to live, if only to find out if he could._

 _Yaboku would never live. It was fact, nothing was clearer. But if Yaboku couldn't, he would simply be someone else. Someone who_ was _able to live._

Yato opened his eyes, blinking slowly against the faint morning light. Gods didn't sleep, not really, but most easily slipped into a thoughtless state similar to it to pass time.

It was rare to relive past memories in that state, though. Not unheard of, but rare. Although, thruth to be told, it wasn't a memory as it was a continued feeling.

Yato shrugged it off and got ready to wake Yukine in the most loud, unnecessary manner he could think of.


End file.
